


And Michael, you would fall

by SevlinRipley



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Kiss, Jealousy, Love Confessions, M/M, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-02-08 18:23:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18628741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevlinRipley/pseuds/SevlinRipley
Summary: Prompt: 14. First kisses, gentle, testing, pulling back to make sure no boundaries have been crossed, before lip meet again, longer, falling into each other like they were always meant to be here, and finally now they know where they’re meant to be. This final revelation, that at each other’s side is where they belong.





	And Michael, you would fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [strangersit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangersit/gifts).



It wasn’t like Will hadn’t kissed someone before… This was just the first time Mike had been there to witness it.

He’d fallen into the theater crowd around sophomore year with a little nudging from Dustin, first, and then Jonathan. Joyce, of course, was very immediately supportive the second Will expressed any interest. Lucas and Mike… tried their best, but both shared a look that said, ‘ _Holy shit, the bullying’s about to get ten times worse._ ’

They weren’t completely wrong, but they also hadn’t been aware there would suddenly be strength in numbers. Apparently the drama kids really liked to stick together, and that included the teacher, who could give a stare so cold a body wouldn’t thaw till Junior Prom. Will was actually safer than he’d been in years, for opening himself up to such a large group of people. For sharing a passion with them.

His influx of new friends hadn’t gone without a few hitches, of course. Mike was _thoroughly_ offended the day Will announced he’d be spending every Thursday lunch in the drama room. But at least he’d had the rest of their group to keep him company. Distract him from stewing in jealousy. Extract the bitter taste in his mouth.

Because Mike had never been there to see him act before, he was honestly taken aback when Will slid onto the bench beside him one day, his saran-wrapped pb&j sandwich on a tray with some milk and an apple, and announced that he got a relatively significant part in the upcoming play. Mike still, largely, thought of Will as quiet. Maybe even shy. Someone you’d pinpoint as very likely to have stage fright.

Then Will had started running lines with anyone he could get his hands on. Mostly it was Dustin, since he was on crew and knew some of the tones of the play already. But every now and then it was with Mike. And Mike just couldn’t figure out how to compartmentalize his best friend from actor. That being the case, Mike was usually Will’s last resort.

And while he’d heard Lucas making kissy noises at Will at various points in time, he hadn’t sussed together that it was any kind of special mockery.

So when, on opening night, Will had to lean forward and give what looked to be an ultra-real, and way-too-long kiss to the actress standing next to him, his hand cradling her sparkling face, hands in glitter-sprayed hair, Mike’s jaw dropped. And his stomach coiled up like a rattle snake lived inside it.

For the rest of the play, Mike couldn’t stop thinking about it. Couldn’t wipe the little frown off his face, or smooth his brow. Could barely even hear the rest of the lines.

After the curtains closed El elbowed him gently, and cocked her head to the side, silently asking why he wasn’t clapping along with the rest of the audience. With flushed cheeks, Mike started to applaud, but his mouth was pursed. El wasn’t surprised when Mike melted into her, as she laid her head on his shoulder and gave his upper arm a comforting _pat, pat, squeeze_.

Typically, no one was allowed back stage after a performance, in order to allow the actors to de-stress and get into their every-day clothes. Perhaps hear some notes or congratulations from the director, and so on. But Mike was as jittery as a butterfly caught in a jar, eager to get out. He had to talk to Will. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but… He knew it had to be something.

A crush was manageable; he’d been dealing with it for a few years, now. But nauseating jealousy wasn’t something he was interested in carrying with him. He wasn’t ready to poison his friendship by holding in aching thoughts.

There was enough chaos and excitement to cover up the fact that a boy - as tall as he was - was sneaking around, pressed against walls, and tripping over cords and random piles of shoes, in order to seek someone out.

When he found Will, he sucked in a breath he then held, watching from a corner of a smaller room, as Will, wearing only leggings, used a makeup wipe to clear away the makeup which now looked so stark compared to what Mike had witnessed on stage.

The makeup he wore was doll-like. Some features hollowed with dark lines, others highlighted. His cheeks were bright pink, and his eyes were rimmed with black. And glitter sat upon his lips from a kiss. The shimmer lit up like diamonds caught in spotlight, from the rim of lights around the mirror Will sat before.

Although the makeup was far too heavy, Mike’s chest was blooming warmer, even as Will wiped his face down to red streaks.

Difficult as it was to find his voice, eventually Mike had to breathe. And as he sucked in oxygen through his nose, he let out a crack of a, “Hey.” Then quickly added, “You were amazing.” Felt himself blushing at how layered that single word sounded coming out of his mouth. Then with embarrassment over having made Will nearly jump out of his skin. “Sorry,” he said, sheepish. “I can go until - until you’re ready. You still want a ride home right?”

Will turned to him, amused, and quirked an eyebrow. Why on earth would Mike leave? That’s what could be read on his face. Again, Mike had to mentally shake his head at himself. _Stop acting so skittish_. “You can stay. It won’t take as long as it looks like it would.” Will referred to the heavily caked-on foundation and all else that covered it.

But how long would that offer last? Mike didn’t think he could handle seeing Will stand from his chair in what he currently wore. Earlier, he had a tunic that came to mid-thigh, at least. And had only been of partial concern. Now, Mike was threatened with so much more.

Emerging from the shadows, Mike gave a smile of uncertainty, then leaned into the table. “You get this all to yourself?”

“Only for a few minutes… Most people come in with their friends - take the makeup off for each other but I… I like to kind of… have quiet, I guess.”

“Oh,” Mike said quickly, straightening. “Well, then I should go.”

“You don’t count,” Will said around a laugh. As though that should be obvious.

Mike was helpless but to smile, grinning toothily at that. “Got it,” he breathed, settling back in with his arms folded across his chest. “So uh, that kiss…”

Will rolled his eyes, but returned to cleaning up his face. Up closer, Mike could now see flecks of glitter in Will’s hair, too. Which wasn’t as soft and as flouncy it usually was… He’d had to use hairspray to keep it out of his face, Mike supposed. But it didn’t look terrible. Certainly wouldn’t prevent him from running his fingers through it, except for the fact that it’d probably pull, and hurt Will’s scalp.

“ _Please_ don’t; Lucas has made fun of me enough for the both of you.”

The crinkles at the corners of Will’s eyes said he hadn’t really been all that bothered by it, and made Mike chuckle breathlessly as he said, “I wasn’t going to. I promise.”

“Oh,” Will said, brightening up, shoulders lifting up higher from the defensive hunch they’d fallen to at the first mention of it.

Mike’s eyes flicked down to his collar bones, and the indentations that fell between them, and around. Mike had forgotten about the beauty mark on Will’s ribs, just between bellybutton and nipple. His throat went tight as he found his eyes roving, among other things.

“What about it?” Will asked casually. But then his eyes widened with horror and he turned his head to look Mike dead-on, causing Mike to meet his gaze. “Oh my god. It looked fake didn’t it? I _knew_ it would look too forced,” Will said, eyes moving back and forth as he searched for the truth of his statement in Mike’s face.

Shaking his head, Mike was slow to catch up but eventually blurted out, “No! No, not at all - I - it was the opposite. I promise!”

It had looked real… Too real. And good. And soft. And even better than the daydreams in Mike’s head.

Will’s gaze was filled with scrutiny a few moments longer, and then finally it softened in acceptance. “Oh, okay… Uh, thanks, Mike.” And then it was back to wiping up the pretty, but garish face of his character, and tossing it into the bin beside him.

“I was - well, now I feel kind of stupid for asking but… I was actually going to ask like. Like - Will, do you like her? Maybe?”

Eyebrows furrowing, Will turned his head just a mite, and then something funny pushed his lips up into a partial smile. Mike wasn’t certain what it was, until he heard the tone of Will’s voice along with it. It was condescension and disbelief. “ _Mike_.” And Mike _knew_ … he knew that Will wasn’t really… like, interested in girls. But that didn’t mean he _never_ would be. That he couldn’t be. If he wanted to.

“Yeah, but Will! It looked so - so -” The only word he could think of was ‘good’. But that sounded too close to what he actually meant.

“Well,” Will said, with a warm smile, still touched with amusement, “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment. But… No. We were just acting.”

“Oh,” Mike said. All too quickly realizing just how relieved he sounded. He stiffened up against the wall of the vanity, and then dodged his eyes away. Clearing his throat, Mike shoved his hands deep into his pockets and took a step back. “Well I better let you finish before more people come in.”

“Mike…?”

He could only bare a small glance back at Will, but instantly saw a vulnerability there that was impossible to turn away from. Uncertainty and concern.

Mike groaned, rolling over on his shoulder, so that his back was to Will, and Mike was mostly shrouded in darkness, but for the top of his head which caught the glow of the light bulbs on the vanity. “I was just… - I just needed to know, for my sanity, if there was something I’d have to get over,” he said, rolling his eyes at himself as he finished choking out the words.

“Get over.”

“Mhm.”

“Because…?”

“Will. Please don’t make me say it. I think I’ve said enough,” Mike told him, voice going petulant and needy as he hung his head. Not realizing that Will was slipping out of his chair and coming around to face Mike head on. But then Mike saw two feet appear before him. A hand coming up to grasp his upper arm. And Mike’s eyes betrayed him, glazing up and over Will’s entire, beautifully defined body until he got to his eyes, where they were shining from the light at Mike’s back.

“Mike. Mm… Tell me if I have it right. …Okay?” Will said. And before Mike could even begin to think of anything like escape, or worrying about how tight his trousers were, or interrupting with some kind of useless fact to change the subject, his brows were shooting up his forehead as Will’s mouth found his.

Just as soft but far more earnest than Will had seemed earlier that night. Mike’s eyes fell closed, and he leaned forward after Will, as their lips parted. Will made a poor attempt at holding back a giggle, given the length of time it too for Mike to open his eyes again. Afraid he’d just wake up from a mere dream. Even so, when Mike peered at him through hooded, dark eyes, Will looked slightly nervous, like he was two seconds from bouncing on the balls of his feet. Biting into his lip. Askance.

“You got it ri-”

Their lips met again, and Mike smiled into the kiss, into the interruption, eyes falling closed again as he placed his hands on Will’s hips, thumbs dipping just slightly into the tight-like fabric of Will’s leggings. Thinking, _Wow_ , so hard, he almost murmured it against Will’s mouth. Pressing back into it, until a girl cleared her throat from across the room, and Will let out a surprised squeak, immediately burying his face into Mike’s shoulder.

“Uh…” Mike started.

“Sorry Julia,” Will mumbled, pulling back and returning quickly to his chair where he began scrubbing at his face just a little too hard.

“Sorry Julia,” Mike repeated, then glanced over his shoulder to meet Will’s eyes, who broke down quickly into another smile. Mike gave him a wink, and then waved goodbye to the both of them as he walked out passed several people now fully dressed into their school clothes.

No one said a thing to him until Mike was leaning back against his parents’ station wagon, at which point El wiped a piece of glitter from off his upper lip and held the evidence on the tip of her finger up to his face. “You figured it out,” was all she said, then smiled as though she’d won something, before crowding him into a hug. Where she remained until her brother came to join them for the ride home.

**Author's Note:**

> Titled from "White Winter Hymnal"


End file.
